The present invention relates to compositions for treating fibers. More specifically, the present invention relates to compositions for conferring upon fibers treated therewith enhanced antistatic properties, water absorbency, stain resistance, softness, smoothness, crease resistance, and compression recovery.
Fiber-treating organosiloxane compositions are known. For example, polydimethylsiloxane fluids, and emulsions thereof, have been used to confer softness upon fibers. Polymethylhydrogensiloxane, .alpha., .omega. dihydroxy polydimethylsiloxane, and condensation catalysts have been used in combination to confer long-lasting softness, crease resistance, and compression recovery to fibers. Polymethylhydrogensiloxanes, and polydiorganosiloxanes containing vinyl groups in combination are also known as fiber-treating compositions. Unfortunately, treatment compositions comprising polydimethylsiloxane furnish inadequate crease resistance and compression recovery, and treatment compositions comprising polymethylhydrogensiloxanes require a catalyst, suffer from short bath life, and can pose a fire and explosion hazard, due to generation of hydrogen gas.
Japanese Patent Sho 48(1973)17514 discloses a fiber-treating composition comprising a polydiorganosiloxane containing at least two ethoxy radicals per molecule and a polydiorganosiloxane containing aminoalkyl radicals. Japanese Patent Sho 53(1978)36079 discloses a fiber-treating composition consisting of .alpha., .omega.-dihydroxypolydimethylsiloxane and an organosilane containing aminoalkyl radicals and alkoxy radicals. Japanese Patents Sho 53(1978)19715 and 53(1978)19716 disclose fiber-treating compositions consisting of aminoalkyltrialkoxysilanes and polydiorganosiloxanes containing epoxyalkyl radicals. Japanese Patent Sho 53(1978)98499 discloses fiber-treating compositions consisting of .alpha., .omega.-bis(triorganosiloxy)polydiorganosiloxanes containing two or more aminoalkyl radicals. However, organosiloxanes containing alkoxy radicals have an adverse affect on treatment bath stability when used in an emulsion formulation; fibers treated with alkoxysilanes tend to be stiffened; and fabrics treated with polydiorganosiloxanes containing aminoalkyl radicals and epoxyalkyl radicals have a number of drawbacks, such as a tendency to pick up and retain electrostatic charges generated by friction, a tendency to have lowered resistance to staining by oily substances, and lowered water absorbency. To alleviate these drawbacks, it is common practice to additionally treat fibers with hydrophilic surfactants, such as sulfuric acid ester salts of ricinoleic acid, Turkey red oil, polysiloxane-polyalkyleneoxide copolymers, or the addition products of polyalkyleneoxides with alcohols. Unfortunately, these hydrophilic surfactants dissolve in the water used in laundering, and in the solvents used in drycleaning. Thus, the beneficial effects of hydrophilic surfactants are lost upon laundering or drycleaning.
As a result of intensive investigation by the present inventors, the disadvantages of prior fiber-treating compositions have been overcome. The present invention provides fiber-treating compositions which confer upon fibers treated therewith enhanced antistatic properties, water absorbency, resistance to stains, softness, smoothness, crease resistance, and compression recovery.